Apparatus for making piped or bound edgings



April 27, 1954 s. SILVERBERG 2,676,557

APPARATUS FOR MAKING PIPED OR BOUND EDGINGS Filed March 24, 1950 4 Sheets -Sheet 1 1 f7 i 1 ,j? 1 i 1 1 I I I l 2 i TZQ l I i g, 2% l I l I "Ti :11. E-

INVENTOR.

GEQRGE SILVERBERG B ATTORNEYS Ap 1954 G. SILVERBERG, I 7 ,5 7

APPARATUS FOR MAKING PIPED oa souun EDGINGS Filed March 24, 1950 v 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. GEORGE SILVERBERG ATTORNEYS April 27, 1954 VERBERG 2,676,557

APPARATUS FOR MAKING PIPED 0R BOUND EDGINGS Filed March 24, 1950 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 lzahe 2'8 Ti .ILE.

za 26 2'? a INVENTOR;

GEORGE SILVERBERG ATTORNEYS April 27, 1954 G. SILVERBERG 2,676,557

APPARATUS FOR MAKING PIPED OR BOUND enemas Filed March 24, 1950 4 sheets-sheet 4 IN V EN TOR. GEORGE SILVERBERG ATTORNEYS Patented Apr. 27, 1954 UNITED STATES i TENT OFFICE APPARATUS FOR MAKING PIPED R BOUND EDGIN GS 3 Claims.

The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for making piped or bound edgings, such as for button holes, pockets or the like, for garments for either men or ladies. In these edgings the usual edge stitching is omitted and the edges are finished and reinforced by folds of a separate piping fabric or self or contrasting material extending there-along. For convenience, the invention will be illustratively described with respect to bound buttonholes although not limited thereto. These piped buttonholes have heretofore been made only by skilled operators, by free hand, constituting an expensive operation presently forming a considerable part of cost of a garment using such buttonholes.

The present invention has for its object, among others, to provide a simplified method of making such buttonholes or other edgings so as to decrease materially the time consumed by the operator, if made by hand; to provide apparatus usable in conjunction with standard sewing machines for further simplifying the fabrication of such button holes or other edgings; and to insure greater uniformity and accuracy in manufacture. This is done without in any way impairing the appearance of such button holes and retains the important feature that the hand finished appearance of the completed garment is preserved and all seams are completely concealed at the face of the garment.

In particular, in the customary method of making such button holes as now known to me, short strips of piping material must be cut in advance and two such strips are sewn along either side of the slit forming the buttonhole. The necessity of handling such small pieces, which have to be folded very n ar one edge, and of cutting them to size, is an awkward procedure which is eliminated by the present invention, which provides a method and apparatus whereby the piping material can be supplied in a continuous reel which may be suitably mounted on or near the sewing machine itself, providing a continuous supply of piping fabric at the exact point where it is utilized, and permitting easy use of sewing machines for making such button holes. In particular, such buttonholes or bound edges can be made with or without a cord filler, where desired, and the present invention may be used on conventional automatic buttonhole machines, such as the Singer GG series.

These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will be more clearly under-- stood from the following description of preferred 2 modes of carrying it into effect, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a cross-sectional view showing the initial attachment of piping fabric to the main fabric of a garment or the like, illustrated as for a button hole;

Figure 2 is a plan view of the subject matter of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure l at an intermediate stage in the manufacture of the buttonhole, showing the beginning of the turning of the buttonhole;

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 3 showing the turning at a more advanced stage;

Figure 5 is a perspective View, partially in cross-section, showing the completed piped buttonhole;

Figure 6 is a plan view of the subject matter of Figure 5;

Figure '7 is a perspective view of a portion of a sewing machine and attachments therefor for carrying out the present method;

Figure 8 is a perspective view of the piping fabric guide used in Figure '7;

Figures 9 and 10 are transverse cross-sectional views of the device of Figure 8 taken along lines 9%) and !0lfl respectively;

Figure 11 is a perspective view of a modified form of the guide of Figures 7 to 10;

Figure 12 is a perspective view partially broken away of the guide of Figure 11;

Figures 13 to 15 are cross-sectional views of the guide of Figures 11 and 12;

Figure 16 is a perspective view of a combined guide and presser foot;

Figure 17 is a perspective view of still another form of the present invention, adapted to insert a cord into the bound edge produced;

Figure 18 is a top view of the device of Figure 17;

Figure 19 is a side view, partly in section, of the device of Figures 17 and 18;

Figures 20 and 21 are cross-sectional views along lines 20-20 and 2|-2l of Figure 19;

Figure 22 is a further perspective view of the device of Figures 17 to 21 with a part folded back; and

Figures 23 to 29 are cross-sectional views along lines 23-43 to iii-28 of Figure 18, showing the progressive folding of the fabric and wrapping of the cord of the device of Figure 17.

Referring first to Figures 1 to 6, the main fabric in which the buttonhole is to be formed is shown at 2!. Two pieces of piping fabric 22 and 23 are sewn, in the manner to be described, on opposite sides of the slit 24 forming the hole for the buttonhole. Each of the pieces of piping fabric 22 and 23 is folded in a double fold having a folded edge 26 and a second folded edge 21, the portion 23 of the piping fabric 22 extending beyond the fold edge toward the slit E l as shown in Figure 1.

In fabrication, folded piping fabric piece is placed along the slit line 2 and then. is sewn to the main fabric 2i by preferably Zigzag stitching, shown at is and 35 in Figure so that one line of needle holes extends along the portion 28 or" the piped fabric and sews only portion 28 to the fabric 21, while another line of needle holes extends through the edge of fold as well as through portion 28. These latter stitches preferably blind, that is, they pierce the fold 2b in such manner that when unfolded no stitching is visible. However, straight stitching can also be used.

It will be understood that the pieces of piping fabric 22, 23 may either be pre-cut to the desired size or may be out after being stitched to the main fabric 2i. In'the latter case, and 5.L'CO1 ing to a preferred form of the invention described herein below, the piping fabric be taken from a continuous reel or roll out it is used after stitching.

The second piece of piping fabric and sewn in exactly the same piece 22. Thereafter the slit 2c is cut aetweon the two pieces of piping fabric 22 and the outer portions 3| of the piping fabric are then folded back through the slit as shown in Figures 3 and 4, until the portions ti extend beneath and parallel to the main fl as shown If desired, the slit i i con.

in Figure 5. d be made before sewing on the pieces of piping fabric. it

will be understood that this figure highly rnagnified and that, after pressing in the customary manner, the portions 3! of the 3316 will lie very flat against the main fabric iii. It will be seen. that the slit 2s its ends may have b shaped slit extensions 32 hich width of the completed outer portion of buttonhole. as shown in Figures and b the folded edge it then forms the actual edges of the piped buttonhole, and all stitching is concealed beneath the fabric 22 l.

The use of the double fold it, ill for the piping fabric shown in Figure l is if extreme advan tage in the present method. According to prior methods, only a single fold, such as was utilized whereby the portion of the pi fabric overlay the slit When this was the case, it became wirward and to sew the second piece of piping fabric 23 on the other side of the slit 24% since both the slit 2i. and the place where the piece 23 is to sewn were then covered by the edge of the 22. This is completely obviated by the present invention by its use of the double fold shown, which con stitutes an important part of the invention.

In addition, according to another important aspect of the present invention, a special guide is provided which automatically fol s the into the double fold shown in igure 1. his guide is illustrated in Figure 8, and constitutes a piece of smootsheet metal. of fiat tubular form having at one end the cross section shown in Figure comprising flat parallel sides 3i connected by arcuate ems The width of the opening to within this end of the guide only slightly greater than the thickness of the piping fabric, and its length is substantially equal to the width of the piping fabric used. At

ture as at one end of the guide and ape the other end, the cross section of the guide is that shown in Figure 9, in which the top and bottom walls 3% and 3'! are bent to provide a cross section aperture 39 of the double fold type corresponding to the desired folded condition of the piping fabric. The guide itself forms a smooth transition between its two end configure tions.

In using this guide a flat tape of piping fabric of a width of the aperture at of Figure i0 is fed into the guide. As it passes through the guide it is gradually and smoothly turned into a double fold. by the. smooth transition between the aper e it"; at the other end. -t will be und rstood that to'tallength of the aperture 3Q is the same that of aperture 40 so that the fabric fits smoothly'within this aperture, whereas the up per and lower surfaces and of the guide are spaced apart only slightly more than the thickness of the fabric, just enough give clearance and to prevent bunching. Tn this way the fabric is prevented from folding or "rin ng anywhere except at the bends Q2 and which produces the folds 26 and fl respectively.

The guide of. Figure 8 is preferably position immediately in front of the nee lle til the sewing machine shown in Figure 7 (which is preferably of the zigzagstitching type to produce the stitches shown in Figure 2) so that the pip ing fabric emerges from the guide in folded condition just before the needle M and is then drawn through the guide by the feed mechanism of the sewingrnechanisrn as it is sewn in place.

in Figure 7, the guide is shown having a bracket it mounted on a plate ll secured to the bed of the sewing machine by of a suitable knurled set screw 49 cooperating with a slot 5! in the plate ll. The piping fabric is mounted on a reel 52 which in turn su or-ted on a bracket 53 either from the, head fit or he sewing machine or from the bed any suitable manner. An aligning guide c be utilized to line the tape 22 with the folding guide 35.

Figures 11-16 illustrate another form of the fabric guide, forming an important part of the present invention, and which is simpler in con" struction.

As shown in Figure 11 the guide 6% is mounted in position directly in front of the presser foot 52 on an incline so that'the piping fabric 'i-y be fed from a reel, such as 52 in Figure 7, through the guide 6i directly under the needle, which together with the presser foot E2 to the foot bar of the machine (not shown). Alternatively, asshown in Figure 16, the guide 6!! may be made integral with the presser foot fill or may be rigidly joined thereto, obviating the necessity forthe arm 6 and bracket Bil. In either event, it will be understood that the fiat piping fabric tape is fed in at the upper end of the guide ti and is folded into the required double'fold by means of the guide 6i and is then presented underthe needle in the proper folded condition for practice of the method already described.

The actual construction of the guide is illustrated with respect to Figures l2-15. In this iu--- stance the guide BI is formed of a member having a bottom 6? to'which two further members G8, 73 are secured asby welding, soldering or the like. As'shown in the successive crosssections of Figures 13 to 15, member 68 is a fiat strip of generally converging sides which is substantially flat against the bottom 61 at the upper end of guide 6|, and has one edge with gradually greater separation from the base 51, while the other edge H is secured throughout its length to the bottom 67. The second member 13 is also formed of a flat strip of generally rectangular or other similar shape which is so arranged as to have a wall 74 extending transversely of the bottom 6'! and of gradually increasing height from zero height at the upper end of guide 6! to maximum height at the lower end, the sloping edge E0 of the member 68 being secured at or near the upper edge of the transverse wall M.

In addition to the transverse wall it, member it has a flange 16, which generally forms an extension of the slanted member 68, as shown most clearly in Figures 13, 14 and 15. This flange "it also tapers, having its widest dimension at the lower small end of the guide 6|, tapering to practically zero width at the upper end of the flange 16.

Guide 6| also has an upper wall (i9 preferably integral with the bottom 61, which forms a tubular enclosure with bottom 6'1. The upper wall til is generally parallel to the slanting element til for most of its length. A portion of the upper wall 69 is slitted, as at 11, and is then curl-ed down as shown at 18 in Figure 13 and Figure 1a to form a further guide surface.

In Figures 13, 14 and 15 the position of the fabric is illustrated by the heavy dash lines and it will be seen that the various elements just described constrain the fabric to form the double fold, characteristic of the present invention, element 16 forming one fold and element it forming the second fold. It will be appreciated that the guide of Figures 12 to 15 may be fabricated more simply than those previously described since it is readily made up of flat sheet elements which are merely bent in the desired shapes and then may be soldered or welded together or otherwise suitably secured.

The above forms of the invention are highly suitable for use in making regular bound or piped buttonholes, edgings or the like. In some instances, especially where the fabric being worked is extremely sheer, it is desirable to reinforce such piped or bounded edges. This is normally done by the use of cords contained within folds of the fabric to give them greater body and strength. The present invention is also adapted for use in making such corded edgings and Figures 17 to 29 illustrate one form of device which both produces the double fold or its equivalent and at the same time causes the fabric to roll up around a cord type of core.

As shown generally in Figures 1.7 and 22 this device is also built integrally with the presser foot, although it will be appreciated that it can be made separately and mounted either as shown in Figure 11 or as in Figure '7, or in any other suitable manner, so long as it is properly positioned relative to the sewing machine needle.

This form of guide is made up of two joined guiding surfaces both of complex curved shape best illustrated by reference to the successive transverse cross sections of Figures 23 to 29 which illustrate both the guiding surfaces and the po sition of the fabric within the guide.

The lower guiding surface s: is adapted to support the underside of the piping fabric 92 and both produces a fold in it and also wraps the piping fabric 92 around the reenforcing cord 93.

For this purpose, the cross section of the lower surface 9| has a bend 94 which progressively sharpens as shown in Figures 23 to 27, so that the fabric 92 is gradually sharply folded, as at 96 as it leaves the guide.

In addition, the guide is provided with a cordreceiving channel 91 extending only part way from the front edge of the guide (away from the needle position). The lower guiding surface cross section is also provided with a reverse bend 98 which, as the fabric progresses through the guide, gradually wraps the fabric around the cord 83. It will be understood that the cord channel 9? has its side walls of tapering thickness, and terminates just before the fabric 92 completes its wrap about the cord 93.

As shown in Figures 26 to 29, the upper guide surface 99 has its surface curved complementarily to that of lower surface 9|, including a bend fill opposite lower surface bend at. Bend it! gradually merges into a vane or fin m2, shown in Figures 20 and 25-28, which assists both in completing the wrap of fabric 92 about cord t3, and also forms the fold 9%.

As the fabric 92 leaves the guide, just before the needle aperture I03 in the presser foot, it is in the form shown in Figure 29, having the sharp fold 96, and with a portion wrapped around the cord 93. The exit aperture Hi4 of the guide is so located before the needle, that the needle pierces fold 96 and the side of the wrap-around section 35, to produce the stitching H36 shown in Figure 29. This stitching I06 also pierces the main fabric It? on which the edging is being made. By comparing Figure 29 with Figure 1, it will be seen that the fold 94 corresponds to fold 25, while fold 21 is modified only by inserting the cord as and bending the fabric back around the cord, to provide the necessary cord wrapping. Otherwise the finished edging of Figure 29 is performed in the same manner as in Figure 1.

It will be understood that, in using the apparatus shown, the piping fabric is continuously available for use by the operator in folded condition at a point immediately adjacent to the needle. It is merely necessary for the operator to place the fabric to be worked upon in proper position under the presser foot and then the already folded piping fabric is fed under the needle by means of the presser foot, to be sewn to the main fabric along the position of the slit 24 as shown in Figures 1 to 6. The normal feed mechanism of the sewing machine pulls the piping fabric tape through the guide 35 as the sewing progresses, so that the fabric tape is delivered in properly folded condition as it is used. At the end of the sewing the operator merely releases the pressure foot and cuts the tape, as with a pair of scissors and the sewing is completed. The same procedure is followed on the other side of the position of the slit 24.

By use of this apparatus, therefore, the operator is completely relieved from the necessity of handling the piping fabric, and especially need not perform the job of folding it as was formerly done by hand. In this way the time taken for making a piped buttonhole or edge can be materially reduced, and may be cut in half or more thereby greatly reducing the cost of such edges. Also, a lower degree of skill is necessary on the part of the operator, and greater accuracy is attained, since the folding operation is done completely automatically and the operator need merely guide the sewing machine and tape along the edge which is a conventional type of sewing operation.

While the term fabric has been used above, it will be understood that the method can be employed with any suitable pliable sheet material as desired, whether textile or Woven, or not. Also, the slit 24 may be formed before sewing, if desired. This method and apparatus are also suitable for use in forming piping for pockets or other openings, as well as buttonholes, as will be readily apparent to those skilled in this art.

While the method'of making edgings described above has included the use of zigzag stitching, which is a preferred form, it will be understood that the method can also be performed by an ordinary sewing machine so that by use of a guide according to the present invention, the piped edgings can be readily made, even in the home, by relatively simple operations. When this is done the row of stitches will pierce both. the fold 26 and the portion 228 of the piping fabric shown in Figure 1, or as shown in Figure 29..

tion is intended to be illustrative only, does not limit my invention in any way, the invention being defined solely by the appended claims.

What is claimed is: l. A guide for sewing machines for making bound reenforced edgings formed by a re ing cord encircled once by a fabric strip .-*h a free edge of said strip abutting the remain er of said encircling strip and with said fabric reersely folded substantially at the line of said abutting, said guide having a pair of adjacent non-planar surfaces joinedat one side for part of their length and open at the opposite side for receiving said fabric strip, said surfaces defining a fabric-accommodating channel, said guide also having means integral with one of said surfaces defining a cord-receiving bore extending generally axially of said guide, said channel-defining surfaces being formed with gradually and progressively varying shapes along the length of said. guide causing said channel gradually to substantially encircle bore and extending beyond said bore to form a substantially complete cylindrical surface surrounding the axis of said here exceptfor a narrow slit, the other of said first-mentioned surfaces having a convex portion gradually sharpening along the length of guide to a fold-forrning ridge extending along one edge of said slit for producing a longitudinally extending reverse fold in said fabric strip adjacent the cord-encircling portion of said fabric strip as said fabric is fed longitudinally through said channel.

2. Apparatus for making bound reenforced edgings comprising in combination a gd is as in claim 1 and a sewing machine having a needle in the path of said encircled reenforc card as it leaves said guide, said needle being substantially aligned with one edge of cord so as to sew together said reverse fold and portion cf said fabric strip encircling said cord.

3. Apparatus as in claim 2 wherein said sewing machine is of zig-Zag stitching type in which needle alternates between two posnlons, in one position of which the needle passes through said reverse fold and said ncircling strip, and in the other position of which said needle only through said reverse fold.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

